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UT Board of Regents
Students want delegate appointed
Page 6
by
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New Kentucky Home
Sutton says goodbye Hogs,
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The Battalion
V0I.8ON0.125 GSPS 045360 12 pages
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, April 3,1985
ivil rights of gays topic of debate
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By ANN CERVENKA
Stuff Writer
Is the closet open?
This question was the topic of a
um Tuesday night on the civil
ights of homosexuals. Co-spon-
ored by Political Forum and
heat Issues the debate featured
-fouston City Councilman John
ioodner and Cara Lamarche, di-
ector of the American Cavil Lib-
rties Union in Texas.
“Yes, the door is open,” Good
lier said. “Whether people walk
[through that door is something I
jcan’t answer.”
In January the Houston City
Council passed an ordinance that
/ould have outlawed discrimina-
ion against homosexuals in city
mployment.
Once the referendum went to
voters Goodner led a fight
gainst the change — saying pas-
age would grant minority status
to homosexuals and legitimize
jlheir lifestyle.
The referendum failed by a 4-
margin.
However, Goodman does sup
port civil rights. “My problem
with the so-called gay rights
movement is that there is an as
sertion that their rights may ex-
fthe
Moderator Debbie Ramsey of KBTX, Chan
nel 3, sits between Houston City Coun
cilman John Goodner (1) and Gara La-
Photo by WA YNE L. GRAB El N
marche, director of the American Civil
Liberties Union in Texas at a forum Tues
day night on the civil rights of homosexuals.
ceed those of heterosexuals,” he
said.
Statistics show that the average
homosexual male has a higher
level of education and income
than members of society in gen
eral, Goodner said.
“It seems unfair to demand mi
nority status on that basis,” he
said.
Lamarche, who supports civil
rights for any oppressed group,
said homosexuals do not want ad
ditional rights.
“Gay people are not asking for
more rights than anyone else,” he
said. “Nothing could be farther
from the truth.
“All gay people want is not to
be discriminated against on the
basis of their sexual orientation.”
Although up to 10 percent of
society is gay, they are disrimi-
nated against in many areas of
public life, Lamarche said.
“To be a gay in this society is to
risk your life,” he said, after citing
examples of physical assaults and
vandalism against gays.
Cioodner said physical abuse
cannot be condoned. However, in
a gay rights parade in Houston
last year, two people dressed as
nuns “pretended to have violent
sexual activity,” he said.
“I think that goes beyond free
dom to display your lifestyle,”
Goodner said.
Both speakers favor equal
treatment in employment.
However, Goodner is con
cerned with homosexuals teach
ing students.
“I don’t have a problem as long
as they teach the curriculum,”
See CIVIL, page 6
z from
SS president: Gay rights fight not over
r EVERY
INC
IM
Tub 9$
By KARI FLUEGEL
Assistant Cify Editor
Though the battle is won, the
war against discrimination based
m sexual preference is not over,
he president of Gay Student
Services said Tuesday.
Marco Roberts, president of
the homosexual student group,
said during a press conference
that he was proud of the group’s
achievements and that the group
will not accept any harassment.
“It’s been a long fight, but
we’ve shown that we are Aggies
too,” he said.
Roberts’ comments follow the
U S. Supreme Court’s decision
Monday to let stand a ruling by
the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals stating that Texas A&M
cannot deny recognition to orga
nizations because of sexual pref
erence.
The Supreme Court cited a
lack of jurisdiction in the case.
Larry Hickman, an associate
philosophy professor and the fac
ulty adviser of GSS for the past
two years, agreed with Roberts
that though the courts ruled in
favor of gay rights, the issue was
far f rom settled.
“Gay students are still the ob
ject of subtle and not so subtle
discrimination,” Hickman said.
Roberts said the court’s deci
sion proved that students had the
right “to better their own lots.”
GSS first applied for and was
denied recognition in 1976. The
University denied recognition to
the group on the grounds it
would hot be “consistent with the
philosophy and goals that have
been developed for the creation
and existence of Texas A&M
University.”
The University also argued
that homosexuality was illegal
and that the University could not
recognize an organization “likely
to promote and result” in homo
sexual activity.
In 1982, a U.S. district court in
Dallas ruled homosexuality was
legal, thus making the Universi
ty’s argument invalid.
A&M also contended that GSS
was a social organization, and the
denial of recognition was in keep
ing with the University’s ban on
social organizations.
But in August 1984, the 5th
Gircuit Court ruled against A&M.
“(The University) had eight
years to show how GSS could
harm the University and they
failed to do so,” Roberts said.
After the Supreme Court’s rul
ing, Ted Hajovsky, system gen
eral counsel, said Monday the
University would seek alternate
legal avenues to pursue the case.
Roberts said that he was disap
pointed with the University’s de
cision and that he thought A&M’s
chances for successful litigation
were slim.
The argument that the major
ity of the University community
opposes GSS also is not a suffi
cient reason to ref use recognition
to the group, Roberts said.
“These rights are not up for
vote,” he said. Almost all progress
in civil rights has been in the
courts and rarely in the polls, he
said.
Roberts said the group plans to
file for recognition within a week,
and will not wait for the Univer
sity to receive a court order re
quiring it to grant recognition.
(“We’re going to approach this
with caution,” Roberts said. “We
don’t want to be thrown out on
technical grounds.”
During the litigations, Roberts
said the group followed the Uni
versity regulations while it func
tioned off campus.
Roberts said the group will
make full use of all the benefits
afforded to recognized organiza
tions — including the allocation
of student service fees.
“We will try to get everything
’ ia to, ~
we are entitle*
Roberts said.”
A&M Corps
to disband
3 companies
Cadets to form
outfits A-2, G-2
By TRENT LEOPOLD
Staff Writer
T hree Corps of Cadets companies
will be consolidated into two outfits
to provide organization and lead
ership, and women cadets will be
moved from Dormitory 3 to Dormi
tory 5 to allocate living space more
efficiently.
Col. Richard G. McPherson, pro
fessor of Naval Science, said Tues
day that Companies H-2, N-l and
M-2 will be consolidated into Com
panies A-2 and G-2 at the second
march during Final Review.
During the second march cadets
assume their positions for the next
year.
“The companies (H-2, N-l and M-
2) have had no real organization
since 1972,” McPherson said. “The
formation of the two new companies
will provide junior and senior lead
ership.”
McPherson said those who would
have been commanding officers for
Companies H-2, N-l and M-2 will
become commanding officers for
the new Companies, A-2 and G-2.
Corps Commandant Col. Donald
L. Burton said that in addition to the
consolidation of the three compa
nies, Dorm 5 will become an all-fe
male dorm next year.
Currently, the Quadrangle con
tains 10 male dorms and two female
dorms. After the housing arrange
ments are changed, there will be
nine male dorms and three female
dorms. Dorm 3, like Dorm 1, will
house non-cadet female students,
and Dorm 5 will house both cadet
and non-cadet female students, Bur
ton said.
“We are making sure we are utliz-
ing our space in the most efficient
way possible,” Burton said. “We are
looking at a smaller junior class next
year due to a low freshman enroll
ment two years ago.”
3S A
;iass B
Faculty Senate
representatives
to be chosen
By KIRSTEN DIETZ
Staff Writer
I Texas A&M faculty will be able to
[elect representatives to the Faculty
Tenate on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6
| p.m.
The 28 open Senate positions are
in the colleges of agriculture (6), ar
chitecture and environmental design
§1), business administration (2), edu
cation (2), engineering (5), geosci-
pnces (1), liberal arts (4), medicine
i(l), science (4) and veterinary medi-
! cine (2).
I Polling places for each college are:
• College of Agriculture: first
ffloor lounge of Harrington Class-
>om Building and the' first floor
'bby of Kleberg Animal and Food
Science Center.
• College of Architecture and
Environmental Design: gallery of
the Langford Architecture Center.
• College of Business Adminis
tration: second floor lobby of the
Blocker Building.
j • College of Education: first floor
lounge or Harrington Classroom
Building and East Kyle (health and
hysical education faculty only).
• College of Engineering: first
lloor lobby of Zachry Engineering
Center.
• College of Geosciences: gallery
af the Langford Architecture Cen
ter.
See Senate, page 6
Students march on Capitol
to protest tuition increases
by PETER ROCHA
Framed
The frame for these sunning Aggies is made from an upstairs
window in the the Kleberg Animal and Food Science Center.
Today’s forecast calls for sunny, warm weather with a high of
80 degrees.
By JERRY OSLIN
Sta ff Writer
About 3,000 college students
marched on the State Capitol Tues
day protesting a plan by Lt. Gover
nor Bill Hobby that would triple tu
ition for students attending state
supported colleges and universities.
T he march began at a rally at the
University of Texas Tower — where
students passed out protest signs
and march organizers led the crowd
in practicing chants.
The first two speakers unsuccess
fully tried to fire up the crowd, but
the third speaker was successful.
“This drastic increase is wrong,”
he yelled. “Are we going to stand for
it?”
“No,” the crowd yelled back.
“We want a chance to better our
selves and to compete in the market
place. Are we going to let the Legis
lature take this away from us?”
“No.”
“Are we going to let the Legis
lature put the budget problems on
our backs?”
“No.”
People in the crowd yelled: “Give
me a sign,” and “Let’s march.”
One of the speakers appeared
with an American flag and shouted,
“Follow me.”
About 2,000 people left the
Tower on the march to the Capitol.
An additional 1,000 people joined
the procession on the way.
Some of the marchers wore shirts
that said “Education is no Hobby.”
Some carried signs which said,
“Please, my father can’t pay anymo
re” and, “I am not a Hobby horse.”
Some of the marchers
wore shirts that said “Edu
cation is no Hobby.’’Some
carried signs which said,
“Please, my hither can’t
pay anymore” and, “I am
not a Hobby horse. ”
The crowd chanted, “ One, two,
three, four — we don’t want to pay
no more. Five, six, seven) eight —
don’t tax, educate.”
The marchers passed a grassy hill
and jeered at some sunbathers when
they refused to join the march.
“Where are your ideals,” one man
shouted.
Groups of foreign students car
ried protest signs written in their
own language but chanted in broken
English.
Austin police lined the protest
route but ignored the few obscene
comments directed at them.
Construction workers stopped
working to watch the mile-long proc
ession. Office workers on their way
back from lunch stopped to listen to
the chants.
When the marchers reached the
capitol they pointed at the building
and yelled, “You, you, you.”
The crowd, numbering about
3,000, gathered around the steps on
the southern side of the building
and shouted, “We want Hobby.”
The speakers fought their way to
the front and tried to quiet the
crowd but they continued chanting.
One of the speakers tried to get
the crowd to move away from the
steps hut was met with boos and
chants of “We won’t move.”
One of the speakers finally qui
eted the crowd and introduced State
Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin.
Barrientos said the state is f acing a
budget deficit but students shouldn’t
be the ones to make up for the short
fall.
“Some legislators didn’t vote for
C ara-nuituei betting or a state lottery
ecause they said it was immoral and
sinful,” he said. “But it’s immoral
and sinful to put the budget prob
lem on your back.”
The crowd replied with cheers
and chants of “We want Hobby.”
State Rep. Lena Guerrero, D-Aus-
lin, criticized the Legislature for
considering a tuition increase.
“Politicians would rather tax the
hopes and dreams of middle and
lower income families than tax the
oil and chemical companies,” she
said.
Later, several hundred marchers
entered the capitol and confronted
Hobby.
Hobby had to be escorted by state
troopers and Capitol policemen to
the Senate — where he addresed
about 500 students who were sitting
in the balcony.
“I commend every one of you for
being here today,” Hobby said. “It
shows you care about education. It
has to oe paid for. We just disagree
on how.”
The crowd booed Hobby’s
statements.